By Chidi Nkwopara, OWERRI

THE Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony J. V. Obinna, has appealed to residents in the State to prevent further disaster as the country prepares for another round of voting.

Archbishop Obinna, who made the appeal yesterday, in a press statement he signed, also raised the alarm over the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

“Although the results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections have been released, reports about how they were conducted in various locations bordered on high handed intimidation, massive rigging and violence, and this has raised the serious alarm about the forthcoming governorship and House of Assembly elections”, Obinna said. The cleric similarly fumed that details of the disaster that hit the last elections included what he termed “the monetized compromise of certain core INEC, adhoc and security personnel, by politicians, political parties and their agents in distorting actual voting, accurate counting and the impartial announcement of election results”.

“Given that the forthcoming March 9 elections may even evoke more desperate conduct by politicians from over 70 parties, we call on the Imo electorate and the entire citizenry of Imo State, to rise up to the patriotic challenge of making our elections free, fair and credible because of our long term commitment to good governance and democracy”, Obinna pleaded.